The Antonov state enterprise (Kiev) and the Aviakor aircraft plant (Samara, Russia) signed a "road map" for creation of a joint venture under the program for development of the An-140 family of aircraft on August 27, the opening day of the MAKS 2013 air show, the press service of Antonov has announced.
The document was signed in implementation of the protocol of the fifth meeting of the Ukrainian-Russian commission dated July 12, 2012, which was approved by the presidents of both countries.
The "road map" provides for establishment of a working group of experts from the companies participating in the creation of the joint venture, which are preparing a number of documents required for the further advancement of the An-140 program, including a draft business plan. The partners will present the rationale for creation of the joint venture to the authorities.
"We clearly see the An-140’s great potential to be competitive. It has good commercial prospects, and we are absolutely confident that we will realize them by working together with Ukraine," Aviakor’s General Director Aleksey Gusev said after the signing of the document.
Antonov’s President and General Designer Dmytro Kiva said that although the aircraft is being created through broad cooperation involving the use of the products of various companies, the customer benefits from having to deal with one representative firm, which could be the joint venture.
"Antonov airplanes are created in collaboration with hundreds of Russian and Ukrainian companies, and to ensure the necessary level of competitiveness of locally manufactured aircraft, the presidents of our countries decided last year to create joint ventures focusing on achieving commercial success for specific programs. Today, we have taken an important step toward further development of the An-140 program, aimed primarily at increasing the responsibility of the creators of this aircraft to its customers,” said Kiva.
